France's far right is stoking fears of immigrants taking more than their fair share of the country's generous social welfare system as it hopes for a resounding success in Sunday's parliamentary election.
Some of its proposals, such as denying the right to French nationality to foreigners' children born on French soil, have sparked accusations of racism, while other ideas target voters who may not view themselves as racist but respond to promises that access to dwindling public services can be reserved for them.
“A foreigner, an illegal, who arrives in our country benefits from a whole spectrum of services and care. We will eliminate state medical aid,” the far-right National Rally's president Jordan Bardella has declared on the stump. “So we will reserve social benefits for French people, and believe me, it will save a lot of money for the state's finances.”
The success of the National Rally (RN) is now fully “normalised”, says French media, as opposed to its ancestor the National Front. It was shunned for decades by the mainstream over its historic associations with anti-Semitism and opposition to Second World War hero Charles de Gaulle.
Yet the fact that close to 40 per cent of France voted for the far right in recent elections has left many in France with a feeling of deep unease: is their country actually tempted by the racist undertones of the political insurgents?
Media commentators have tiptoed around the issue out of fear of appearing to disregard popular sentiment and further fuel anger against the Paris-based elites.
The answer, experts say, is both yes and no.
“For decades, the state has been closing down public services including hospitals, family allowance collection centres and train stations in lower-income areas,” said Clara Deville, a researcher in sociology at France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment.
“When there are difficulties in accessing social services, it's easier for people to feel anger against the weakest, rather than against the state,” Ms Deville told The National.
“That doesn't exclude racism as a possible factor. But the RN vote can't be explained by just saying that people are simply ignorant or racist.”
The RN's 28-year-old Mr Bardella, who two years ago replaced Marine Le Pen as party leader, says immigration must be halted and borders closed to stop foreigners taking state aid away from citizens and fuelling crime.
Such ideas may be “absolutely false”, says Ms Deville, but they are popular among people who feel isolated and snubbed by Emmanuel Macron, dubbed as the “president of the rich”.
The RN currently leads in the polls at 36 per cent, followed by a leftist coalition, the New Popular Front (29 per cent), and Mr Macron's liberals (21 per cent).
The suggestion that foreigners steal from the French has been a key component of the RN's messaging despite the fact that health provision for illegal immigrants is already highly restricted and costs relatively little to the state.
Divisions galore
Similarly, most foreigners have to wait five years to access the minimum state stipend for the unemployed, which starts at €635 a month, despite Mr Bardella's claims that they are an automatic right on arrival.
“The RN's proposals appear completely beside the point,” said Ms Deville.
More recently, Mr Bardella has promised he would stop granting French citizenship to foreign children born on French soil, a right which was introduced in France in the 16th century.
In addition to going against the French constitution, this measure may create foreign enclaves in France that slip out of the state’s control, analysts have warned.
“The RN is trying to create further divisions among the low-income population,” said Ms Deville.
Mr Bardella has also vowed to bar dual citizens from jobs described as “strategic”, such as defence, in what has been described by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal as a “humiliating” proposal that goes against the principle of equality among citizens.
Currently there are no restrictions in place for dual citizens, though foreigners are barred from certain jobs in the public sector.
The role of racism in the RN vote is the elephant in the room, wrote researcher Felicien Faury in a recent and much-talked about book, Ordinary Voters, about the far-right's popularity in its heartland of south-east France.
It argues that French society as a whole is deeply entrenched with racist bias and that the RN vote is one of many ways of expressing it that are specifically targeted against France's large Muslim population.
Such racism and intolerance is rising in France, fuelled by the war in Gaza and far-right ideas in public debate, France’s human rights commission, the CNCDH, said in an annual report published on Thursday.
RN's proposals to restrict the rights of immigrants is in “frontal opposition to the principles of equality, fraternity and freedom” and will embolden racist opinions, it said.
It found reports of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim acts increased by 284 per cent and 29 per cent respectively in the past year, while other types of racist acts increased by 21 per cent.
The high scores of the RN are in part the result of French society moving to the right, argues Mr Faury.
“On a national scale, the successes of the RN can be explained by the progressive radicalisation of the right-wing electorate, particularly the lower-income ones.
“It is the disappointed right which above all fuelled the [RN] success more than the disappointed left.”
This also explains why voters who think there needs to be more state services, historically an idea more associated with the left, are now more tempted by the far right.
“When you listen to far-left and far-right voters, they say roughly the same thing but their values are different,” said Luc Rouban, a political scientist affiliated to Sciences Po University. “RN voters are liberal. They want more public service but less bureaucracy and not too much tax. That's very different from the left.”
Mr Rouban downplayed the issue of racism, pointing at research published by the CNCDH that shows tolerance has been rising in France.
“We are not in a country that is becoming more racist,” he told The National. “People feel stuck in a system that nobody controls any more. There is a feeling of loss of control.”
Squeezed by extremes
President Macron has portrayed his shock decision to call for snap elections in the wake of the European election on June 9 as a way of fighting extremist views and giving power back to the people.
At the same time he has chastised those who vote “more based on emotion than on information”. He warned that could lead to “civil war” – an expression he used at least five times in close to two hours of interview in a recent podcast with entrepreneur Matthieu Stefani.
As France heads into elections this weekend, Mr Macron's decision to dissolve the National Assembly seems to have done little to fight extremes and has instead left commentators scrambling to understand what could happen the day after the election.
If, as predicted, the far right gets the highest number of lawmakers without achieving an absolute majority, Mr Macron may be forced to choose a new prime minister who is close to the RN but not Mr Bardella. He has said he would only become prime minister if at least 289 MPs are elected out of 577.
But this scenario risks triggering governance issues due their profoundly different political views. “It's all very uncertain,” said Mr Rouban.
Despite his many media interventions to explain his positions, Mr Macron's popularity remains at an all-time low and some candidates closely affiliated to him such as outgoing National Assembly president Yael Braun Pivet are campaigning without his photo on their posters.
In his podcast interview, Mr Macron explained his low popularity by admitting failures at cracking down against crime and at correcting social inequalities.
The success of the RN lies in its ability to attract people “who are angry” but do not view themselves as extremists, he added, attempting to walk a fine line between showing empathy while also stoking fear around the consequences of such a choice.
Ni-ni last round
The RN remains a party that is outside of the “Republic's values”, said Mr Macron, pointing at senior party members who make a difference between French people who are only French “on paper” – a reference to immigrants and their children, including those who took part in last year's summer riots – and “real” French people.
As a result the centrist president has declared his allies should shun a choice between the RN and the NPF, which is anchored by the former Communists and other far-left factions in La France Insoumise. This is known in the media as the “ni-ni” stance.
The first round on Sunday is expected to see dozens of RN and NPF candidates and set up more run-offs between the two camps a week later.
It remains to be seen whether lambasting the RN's orbit of racism can succeed in scaring voters back to the mainstream.
Stage 2 results
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates
5 Rick Zabel (GER) Israel Start-Up Nation
General Classification
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 07:47:19
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:12
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:16
4 Nikolai Cherkasov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:17
5 Alexey Lutsensko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 00:00:19
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%C2%A0specs%20
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
More on Quran memorisation:
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
The years Ramadan fell in May
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20EA%20Vancouver%2C%20EA%20Romania%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20EA%20Sports%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More from UAE Human Development Report:
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
